at loss has motivated the Sharks: After 24 games, the from love520's blog

QUEBEC CITY, Quebec -- In January 2015, when details were unveiled of how the upcoming World Cup of Hockey would include a Team North America squad, consisting of players under 24 years old,?Pittsburgh Penguins?goalie Matt Murray wasnt necessarily the first goalie who came to mind when thinking about best-on-best hockey. Air Jordan Shoes For Sale .At that point, he was still in the middle of his first full season as an American Hockey League goalie, one that was going quite well. When he saw the announcement, making the team became a personal goal for Murray -- but he also was realistic about his standing in the hockey world.I remember thinking I was probably an afterthought for this team, Murray said after the final practice before Team North Americas first World Cup pre-tournament game. I was probably on the outside looking in.Anaheim Ducks?goalie John Gibson, 23, had the pedigree. He was a second-round pick who came up through the U.S. development program and looked great in four postseason games with the?Anaheim Ducks?in 2014.Winnipeg Jets?goalie Connor Hellebuyck, 23, later staked his claim to the job while leading Team USA to the bronze medal in the 2015 World Championships, making 39 saves in a shutout against the Czech Republic.Murray was, at best, No. 3 on the list. Even when he was officially named to the roster in March, he had played only a few NHL games.As hockey fans know, last spring changed everything. For Murray and for the hopes of Team North America.His performance during the Stanley Cup playoffs not only helped the?Pittsburgh Penguins?raise the Stanley Cup, it made him the most important player on Team North America.His team has the skill to win it all. In Murray, it now has a goalie who has proven he can do it.He was just having his day with the Cup a month and a half ago, said Team North America assistant coach Jon Cooper, whose?Tampa Bay Lightning?team Murray helped eliminate in the Eastern Conference finals.In doing so, the goalie became one of the few players on this young roster to have his own day with the Cup.Between him and Brandon Saad, do we have anybody else? Cooper asked.Nope.Those are our Cup winners, right there, Cooper said. Ultimately, those two guys have something that none of us have. Even our coaching staff.That experience is the great equalizer in this tournament.When he goes against the best World Cup goalies from other countries, he can do so with the confidence that hes accomplished something most of them havent.Last time I looked, Henrik Lundqvist hasnt won a Cup. Neither has Carey Price, said one NHL goalie coach when asked if Murray could hang with the worlds best. So yeah, there are great goalies -- but they havent won for one reason or another.Thats Murrays advantage.His disadvantage is that he doesnt have a large pool of NHL games from which to draw experience. Although it sounds crazy, Murray has only played in 13 NHL regular-season games. He hardly knows anyone on this team mostly because hes still breaking into the league. He was in a couple of Hockey Canada tryout camps with guys such as?Morgan Rielly and Aaron Ekblad, but thats it.The guys on the team who are familiar with him, know him only because he knocked them out of the postseason last spring.He didnt really have that one mistake in a game, said?New York Rangers?forward J.T. Miller, whose team lost to Murray and the Penguins in the first round. He never gave us a chance to get momentum. He played unbelievable.Two rounds later, Murray knocked out Jonathan Drouin and the Lightning.Hes so calm, Drouin said this week of his new teammate. Hes kind of Carey Price-like. He waits for the puck to hit him. Hes relaxed. You can see it in practice.Team North America coach Todd McLellan wasnt committing to any of his three goalies on Wednesday. His goal in the pre-tournament games is to get two goalies playing well and go from there.Its not out of the question that one of the others, especially Gibson, seizes the opportunity. The players from the Western Conference who know Gibson also realize hes capable.Hes underrated, the?Colorado Avalanches?Nathan MacKinnon said of Gibson. Theres a reason they traded Frederik Andersen?and not Gibson.Theres a growing feeling this Team North America squad could make noise as an underdog. Theyre loaded with talent. Theyll be the best skating team in the tournament. Theyre confident.Theyre also going to make mistakes. The forwards dont have the polished two-way game of their more experienced counterparts on other teams. As skilled as the Team North America forwards are, there isnt a Ryan Kesler or Jonathan Toews in the bunch.The penalty kill will end up employing players better known for offense than defense. Its just the way the roster is constructed.Its why the hopes might just hinge on Murray.The North American team will attack the puck a lot, but they might make more mistakes than anyone else, said the goalie coach. Hes going to have to be a goalie who makes timely, timely saves.Hes done it on the biggest stage there is in hockey, leading the Penguins to a Stanley Cup. In early August, his attention shifted from what hes done in his short career to what he still hopes to do.In the short term, its play well enough to earn the trust of his Team North America coaching staff. In the long term, the goal is to show the hockey world that last spring wasnt a fluke.He knows there are people out there wondering if it was.For sure. You dont just want to win one, Murray said. You dont just want to have one good season and disappear. Retro Jordan Shoes For Sale . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Cheap Jordan Shoes For Sale .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.cheapairjordan-shoes.com/ . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. What do you need to know about last nights big stories? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best. This is where we say, Morning, Joe.Capuanos reprieve: After the Florida Panthers fired coach Gerard Gallant on Sunday, attention turned to New York Islanders bench boss Jack Capuano to see if he was next. New ownership is serious about having a winning product, so with the team struggling early and at the bottom of the standings, changes would make sense. So I like the way the Islanders have responded the last two games, beating the Calgary Flames?2-1 in overtime and then following it up with a dramatic 5-3 win over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Against the Penguins, the Islanders played their best hockey of the season for the first two periods and gained a 3-0 lead. Pittsburgh soon erased the deficit, but the Islanders Anders Lee scored with 26 seconds remaining in regulation for the win. That was a character win, another example of the Islanders resiliency this week. It hasnt helped that the Islanders let three key players -- Matt Martin, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen -- walk during the offseason, but if they can play like they did in the last two games, Capuano deserves a stay of execution.Backup steals the job: Calgary Flames goalie Chad Johnson has carved out a solid career as backup, a role he has played his entire NHL career. Now in his first season with the Flames, the 30-year-old has proved crucial once again. He made 39 saves and earned his third shutout in the last eight games to help Calgary to a 3-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Johnson is the type of goalie who rises to the occasion. You mighht wonder, if hes so important to a teams success, why has he been on four different teams the last four seasons? Simple: Organizations dont want to pay a lot for a so-called backup, and Johnson earns himself a raise every season (hes making $1. Cheap Air Jordan Shoes. 7 million this season). He was 17-4-3 for the Boston Bruins in 2013-14, then 8-8-1 for the Islanders in 2014-15 and 22-16-4 for the Buffalo Sabres last season. Hes 8-4-1 with the Flames while the struggling Brian Elliott?gets his game in order.?Johnson has earned more playing time.Sharks will be tamed: The San Jose Sharks have become a perennial regular-season winner and last spring reached the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the Penguins in six games. That loss has motivated the Sharks: After 24 games, they are atop the Pacific Division with a 14-9-1 record for 29 points. The Sharks are playing their best hockey of the season, posting their fifth win in the last six games with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Sharks forward Logan Couture had two goals and one assist for his first multigoal and three-point performance of the season. Hes been solid in his last six games, scoring five goals and adding two assists. But even if the teams success continues, Im still not convinced the Sharks can win a Cup. Sure, the roster is loaded with incredible talent. It has the goaltender in Martin Jones, a top two-way defender in Brent Burns and plenty of talent up front to win, but not having a killer instinct will continue to be the teams downfall on the road to win the Cup. Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Authentic Jerseys Nike NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Nike Basketball Jerseys Hockey Jerseys China Supply Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Sale Authentic College Jerseys MLB Jerseys China Stitched Soccer Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Jerseys ' ' '